Orbital ‘pseudo-abscess’ in a patient with spontaneous subluxation of globe: A case report

Abstract

Purpose: We describe this case and review the literature, to allow this to be a cautionary tale in the interpretation of fluid collections in the setting of spontaneous globe subluxations (GS). Observations: A 58 year old female, with a past medical history of globe subluxation, was diagnosed radiographically with an orbital abscess, and managed with an orbitotomy. However, no abscess was identified operatively and subsequent imaging showed only extravasation of serous fluid. Conclusions and importance: We postulate that in the case here, the fluid collection posterior to the globe was in fact due to increase venous congestion and decrease venous return posteriorly from the globe to the cone, leading to an efflux of clear serous fluid. We postulate that in the case of GS without other clinical indications suggesting orbital abscess one can consider a posterior globe collection of fluid to be an extravasation of serous fluid, secondary to increased venous congestion.

Keywords

• Globe subluxation
• Orbital abscess
• Orbitotomy